ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has given its approval for the designation of Lt Gen Muhammad Munir Afsar as the Chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) for a three-year tenure.
Initially appointed by the caretaker government under Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on October 2, Lt Gen Afsar becomes the first-ever serving three-star general to assume the role of Nadra chairman.
This appointment has now received official endorsement from the federal government, with a three-year term in effect. A summary proposed by the Interior Ministry has been ratified by the federal cabinet through circulation.
This development follows closely on the heels of a report submitted by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to the Interior Ministry, which uncovered the alarming revelation that Nadra’s data for 2.7 million citizens had been compromised and illicitly traded between 2019 and 2023.
Data security breaches have plagued Nadra for an extended period. Notices received by certain Nadra personnel indicate that a JIT was convened on November 13, 2023, tasked with probing two significant data leak incidents: one occurring in 2017 during the tenure of former Chairman Usman Mobin, and another involving a machine attack in Multan on April 28, 2023, as reported by then-chairman Tariq Malik to security agencies.
Lt Gen Afsar brings a wealth of experience in IT-related technical development and management garnered from his service within the Pakistan Army to his new role.
